Worth 104: Know Your Worth…Then Live it

March 28, 2013

What does this quote mean to you? Do you believe it? After reading Worth 101, 102, and 103, do you actually believe that your worth is determined just by the mere you-ness in your veins?

This final installment of the introduction to The Worth Campaign is really about you understanding you. There are no lessons from me here. You are the pilot of your own Worth Campaign just as I am the pilot of mine. There is no single method to understanding your worth and living it. But, I have a few observations that I have made as I have navigated my own journey.

In essence, knowing your worth requires several things.

1. You must first value yourself in the way that you are today.

If you have done or said some things which you regret, you have got to let them go. Not only that, you have to forgive yourself for making past (or current) mistakes. The most beautiful thing about humanity is that we are human. And, as such, we are imperfect. You have to be willing to value yourself without remorse, pause, dysfunction, or resentment. These things don’t diminish your worth but they do make it harder for you to see it clearly.

2. You have to be willing to allow others to be human too.

Sometimes we punish people for our own baggage. And where does that leave us? Angry, alone, and isolated. These feelings are distractions. They keep you from embracing the imperfections of others thereby failing to understand what it means to be empathetic, altruistic, and magnanimous. Reciprocity does not just help others. It helps you to remain positive in the face of disappointments, adversity, and difficultly. And, it helps you to build up where things or people are torn down.

Punishing others does little to improve them or you. So, when you chastise, chastise in love. Critique but do it to build each other up rather than tear one another down. Don’t let your pain guide you or anyone else. Knowing your worth depends deeply on your ability to work through struggle even when it seems impossible.

3. You have to always remember that no one action or collection of things changes your overall worth.

Often, shame tells us that an action makes a person “bad.” Granted, there are some actions which are inherently bad; we aren’t talking about those here. What we are talking about is personal choices about appearance or profession. Or, things like how you choose to wear your hair. It is impossible that an entire human being could be bad simply because of their design choices, accent, familial ties or, place of origin. So, understand that your worth cannot possibly be linked to these things. And how much money you have or where you come from aren’t things to be ashamed of. They make you different which is what makes you great.

How do you live out your worth?

Quite simply actually. You just be you. It sounds small and insignificant. But, in the grand scheme of things, it is a much more monumental task than attempting to be something or somebody else. Acting like others to be accepted or “valued” seems almost inherent in our culture. But, stepping out to be willingly different can be downright terrifying. And, it isn’t something one can do overnight. It could take weeks, months, or even years to figure out who you are. So, living that out could feel like a lifetime away.

But, know that living out your worth will be the most natural thing you have EVER done. It will never feel awkward or weird. Even if being “socially-awkward” is who you really are, it is a lot easier to simply be it than to attempt being a social butterfly. Living out your worth just requires that you live. And when you choose to truly live, authentically, your Worth Campaign has begun.

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About The Worth Campaign, Inc:

The Worth Campaign, Inc. is a nonprofit organization empowering young Black women and girls in all aspects of their personal, professional, and social lives by encouraging them to be unapologetically authentic and true to themselves.
This organization seeks to encourage civic and socio-political participation by young Black women and girls so that they may ‘pay it forward’ to the next generation.
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